Wasn't Wade *trying* to compete until 2010ish, Phillies style? They were trying to be good. And then Wade and Lunhow sold off their useful pieces like Berkman, Oswalt, Lee, Pence, etc and legitimately started rebuilding.
I'm not calling the Astros pathetic right now because it's a whole new regime, much different from the Wade years. Love what Lunhow is doing in their rebuild.